9th October 2020

 

Dear Member, 

COVID-19 UPDATE

 

UK wide

 

The Chancellor has just announced an extension to the Job Support Scheme which will offer extra support to businesses legally required to close as a result of national or local restrictions.  We will study this further over the weekend and provide any additional details next week.  We are lobbying intensely at the moment to keep arcades out of any list of premises required to close and in respect of pubs highlighting the devastating impact on single site operators.

 

In summary the Chancellor has said:

 

• The scheme will begin on 1 November and will be available for six months, with a review point in January. 
• The government will support eligible businesses by paying two thirds of each employees’ salary (or 67%), up to a maximum of £2,100 a month. 
• Cash grants for businesses required to close in local lockdowns also increased to up to £3,000 per month paid every two weeks
• Employers will be required to cover NICS and pension contributions
• Employees must be off work for a minimum of seven consecutive days
• Payments will be made in arrears – a HMRC claims service that will be available to do this from early December
• Employees of firms that have been legally closed in the period before 1 November are eligible for the CJRS.

 

Details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/job-support-scheme-expanded-to-firms-required-to-close-due-to-covid-restrictions

 

Scotland

 

• Earlier today I sent a suggested letter to Division 2 members in Scotland asking them to contact their MSPs to sign a Parliamentary Motion calling for the return of music to pubs.  If you did not receive the email please let me know.  This is on top of the letters we have asked members to write explaining the devastating impact of the pub lockdowns on our business.
• The lockdown Regulations following the First Minister’s announcement on Tuesday have just been published.  Amusement Arcades are NOT required to close.  This is a small bit of good news.  Given the list of venues that have been told to shut I can only put this down to the work we have done with the SG carefully explaining the nature of our business. The Regs can be read here https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/regulation-directive-order/2020/10/the-health-protection-coronavirus-restrictions-and-requirements-additional-temporary-measures-scotland-regulations-2020/documents/the-health-protection-coronavirus-restrictions-and-requirements-additional-temporary-measures-scotland-regulations-2020/the-health-protection-coronavirus-restrictions-and-requirements-additional-temporary-measures-scotland-regulations-2020/govscot%3Adocument/The%2BHealth%2BProtection%2B%2528Coronavirus%2529%2B%2528Restrictions%2Band%2BRequirements%2529%2B%2528Additional%2BTemporary%2BMeasures%2529%2B%2528Scotland%2529%2BRegulations%2B2020.pdf

 

 Kind regards,

John